The governor of West Virginia, in 1910, issued the first proclamation declaring Mother's Day a holiday. By 1911 every state of USA was observing Mother's Day. Other countries soon followed suit: Mexico, Canada, China, Japan, South America and Africa. The Mother's Day International Association was created, on December 12, 1912, to spread the concept and practice of observing Mother's Day.
In the United States, President Woodrow Wilson issued the first proclamation making Mother's Day an official national holiday in 1914. The President, his Cabinet, members of Congress, and all officials of the federal government wore a white carnation on this day.
The Congress had already passed a Joint Resolution on May 8, 1914, designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. The U.S. flag was to be displayed on government buildings and at people's homes "as a public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country."
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